REGISTRY CLEANERS
Neat Net Tricks Software Review Panel
Reviewed June 2006

INTRODUCTION

The Microsoft Computer Dictionary, Fifth Edition defines the Registry, in part, as "a central hierarchical database used to store information necessary to configure the system for one or more users, applications and hardware devices. The Registry contains information that Windows continually references during operation, such as profiles for each user, the applications installed on the computer and the types of documents that each can create, property sheet settings for folders and application icons, what hardware exists on the system, and the ports that are being used."

A separate software registry cleaner to modify your Registry isn't a must-have, but read what Microsoft says, in a Help article: "You can edit the registry by using Registry Editor (Regedit.exe or Regedt32.exe). If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft does not guarantee that problems that you cause by using Registry Editor incorrectly can be resolved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk."

Most computer-savvy users will agree that the Registry is the most sensitive and critical element of the Microsoft operating system. Although a properly maintained Registry produces fewer system errors and provides better performance, anything done to the Registry requires knowledge and expertise. A slip can lead to more problems or bring your system to a standstill. In writing Neat Net Tricks for 10 years, the slogan No Screwdriver Needed implied a hands-off-the-Registry recommendation. Still, we know there are many NNT readers who would like to venture into the Registry in order to capture better system performance and, it's true, as more and more programs are introduced into our computers and often removed with snippets left in the Registry, our machines slow to a snails' crawl.

A good Registry cleaner will help - in fact, do its job without a great deal of computer literacy on the user's part. It will reveal the errors you have in your Registry, make a good backup before repairs are made, then clean and repair this very important part of your computer. But, unfortunately, there are a lot of bad Registry cleaners on the market and they have the potential of doing more harm than good. It is with this in mind that our hard-working Software Review Panel has taken on the formidable task of analyzing and comparing five of these programs:

Registry Mechanic http://www.pctools.com/registry-mechanic
Registry Booster http://www.litutilities.com/products/registrybooster/
Clean My PC - Registry Cleaner http://www.registry-cleaner.net/
Registry Power Cleaner http://www.winferno.com/regpowerclean.aspx
Registry Drill http://www.easydesksoftware.com/down.htm#Drill

We are fully aware that these few are just a tip of the iceberg. There are many more programs and, perhaps in time, our Panel will turn its attention to others. But this is a start and we hope Neat Net Tricks readers will find the report useful and informative.

Reviewer 1. All registry cleaners work the same way. The more problems it finds the better, seemingly, the cleaner. The number of problems a cleaner finds is just one of the indicators, however. The most important indicator is how many legitimate problems it finds and fixes correctly and how specifically it identifies the error. In fact, some registry cleaners report a lot of so-called "false positives". False positives are falsely identified problems that are, in reality, non-problems. It is even more dangerous if these products try to fix those falsely identified errors. Vendors of those products all too often "identify" more problems to make their product look better. They often refer to this as "deep" cleaning. "Deep" cleaning can often lead to more errors and even permanent damage to your operating system if not used with the highest degree of caution. All registry cleaners also offer a "backup" feature and/or create a restore point in Windows before making any changes. Full registry backup and restore sounds good but it is not enough to keep you out of trouble. Having full registry backup and restore is critical as it allows you to bring the registry back to how it was at a certain point in time; however, it is not enough to keep you out of trouble. You need both full "registry restore" and "undo registry changes". You can use the full registry backup to bring the registry back exactly to the point in time when you created the full backup. However, you will lose all the changes to the computer configuration you made after that last backup. With "undo registry changes", on the other hand, you are able to reverse the problematic registry change without affecting the other registry parts. You can fix the problem without losing all the configuration changes made to your PC.

In addition to cleaning, your registry also needs compacting to reduce the registry size and defragment it by removing the holes and empty spaces in the registry tree. Cleaning your registry improves it. It removes unused and incorrect data that causes registry pollution, computer errors and a slowdown in performance. However, this is not the only thing you need to always have your registry at its best. Registry structure is such that when you remove unused and incorrect data, holes are created in the registry tree. Your computer uses the registry to perform every operation. Having holes or empty spaces in the registry tree slows down your computer's performance and might create operational errors. So, just like the defragmentation of files on your hard drive, compacting the registry removes holes and fragments causing your computer to run smoother and faster. That is why in addition to cleaning and repairing the registry must also be compacted.

So, in testing the registry cleaners below, I looked at the above described functions/features as well as their ease of use, and used as my testing method the following: First, I created a disc image, i.e. an exact copy of my entire hard drive so that I could return my system to its original state after testing each registry. Thus, each test began from the same initial state of my registry. I tested each program several times over a period of several months to determine how it might respond to various different types of errors which can accumulate over time.

In my tests, Registry Mechanic consistently outperformed the other programs tested in nearly every category. In its initial cleaning it discovered a total of 47 "errors." While several of these errors were transitory in that they are entries that will be recreated by the operating system on every reboot, all errors detected were legitimate and once repaired did not recur on subsequent cleanings. There were no false/positives presented nor did I find any repairs that caused harm to my system or programs. One of best characteristics is that this program doesn't just automatically delete a bad link, but more importantly, locates where the link should connect and first attempts to make a complete repair. Most registry cleaners only delete bad links. Additionally, Registry Mechanic gives an excellent detailed description of each error found so that the user can make an informed decision as to what to repair. While it does not offer a full registry backup, it does automatically create an "undo changes backup" for each cleaning and gives the user the option of creating a system restore point for each cleaning. The "undo changes backup" which it calls "Restore," are logged by date and description and worked seamlessly and flawlessly. The GUI is attractive, easy to use, intuitive, and offers an excellent registry-compacting function which, before compacting, analyzes your registry and gives you a graphic and written report on how much space will be saved by compacting, thus allowing the user to determine the necessity of compacting at any given point in time. In addition, Registry Mechanic offers a system optimization tool (which I could not determine accomplished anything on my system!), user-determined depth of scan and scanning paths (what it will scan), ignore lists, automatic updates, and startup options. Online technical support was excellent with a less than 24-hour turnaround and an excellent understanding of the problem reported with a correct resolution to the problem on the first attempt. While Registry Mechanic may be the most conservative in its cleaning of the programs tested, I would argue that in working with your registry "conservative" is a positive and not a negative. I think this program, while safe enough to be used by the most novice user, will still satisfy all but possibly the most advanced user.

Clean My PC-Registry Cleaner is a small and very simple program to use with a very intuitive user interface, and fast scan. In my initial registry cleaning it found 12 errors. Unfortunately, two of the errors it found were ActiveX/Com issues which by deleting crippled Adobe Reader. On subsequent scans, it continued to identify these Adobe Reader entries as errors. Interestingly in the majority of those programs which have customizable levels of scanning, the ActiveX/Com portion of the registry is usually only scanned on advanced or deep scanning levels, and this may be one reason why. Clean My PC has the ActiveX/Com option checked by default (interestingly, it lists "File Paths" as the only area not checked by default and cautioned as being for the advanced user only.) The program does reasonably identify any errors found, but a more detailed description is needed. It offers only one level of scanning; although, there are options as to which parts of the registry you wish it to scan. There is the ability to make a backup of your registry; although, it is not done so automatically and there is no "undo function" available. Furthermore, the "restore" function (which should restore your registry to its previous state through restoring the backup made) did not correct or restore the deleted Adobe Reader entries. This makes this a dangerous program to use as being able to restore your registry in the event of a false/positive or accidental repair is absolutely essential. There is a registry "defragmentation" tool available that, based on testing with the graphic provided with Registry Mechanic, made no significant compacting of the registry. There are a couple of additional tools available which have no real bearing on the registry. There is an overly simplistic help file available that offers very little information, and there is no way to update or find updates to the program. In fact, only by visiting the Web site as a part of doing this review did I notice that there was a newer version available; and only by writing to technical support (which responded quickly) was I able to be given the option to download the update. This is inexcusable in my opinion. This is not the worst registry cleaner tested, but there are many better choices.

Some registry cleaners actually benefit by their rather small and simple design. Registry Booster by Uniblue is one such program. It is not the most sophisticated or feature-rich program on the market, but it excels simply because it does nothing other than cleans your registry, and does that well. While its cleaning does not seem to be quite as deep or aggressive as many others, it did find 11 errors on its initial cleaning, all of which were legitimate and once cleaned did not reappear on subsequent cleanings. While its user interface is not one of the most attractive it, again, through its simplicity provides the user just the information that is needed in an easy-to-understand and direct fashion. It provides a very detailed description of any errors it finds, shows progressively what parts of the registry are being scanned, is very fast (the fastest of all tested), and offers options as to what specific parts of the registry you want it to clean. It offers a nice registry backup which it calls an "undo backup" but which is in fact simply a full backup; although, it does not make the backup automatically. It also offers a registry compacting or defragmentation tool which did compact space as indicated by the graphic display available in Registry Mechanic. Since it found no false errors for me to delete, I simply created a backup of a cleaning, restored the backup, and then proceeded to repeat the cleaning process. In each instance it found the same original errors so it did restore what I had allowed it to previously clean. As far as I could tell, it does not make any attempt to repair the error found but simply deletes the entry. This is not the best way in my opinion, but based on my testing of the backup/restore function (which worked flawlessly,) any danger in deleting an error is minimized. There is an excellent help file but unfortunately the developer has chosen to hide the link for support and updating in the help file tree which can only be found by doing some climbing through the branches. This is more of an inconvenience than a flaw in the program and one that I would hope the developer will correct in future versions of this program. As with most of the registry cleaners, technical support is offered via email, but my "test" question was answered fully and within 24 hours. For the novice to intermediate user Registry Booster is an excellent program and one I can easily recommend; however, it might be a little limited for the intermediate to more advanced user. Some registry cleaners are dangerous because of misuse and/or misunderstanding by the user while others are simply dangerous by design. Registry Power Cleaner by Winferno Software falls into the latter category; it is one of the most dangerous registry cleaners I have experienced. On its initial cleaning it found 641 errors! Among other errors, it found 365 errors in my Shortcuts out of a total of 366 scanned (all of my Shortcuts were errors?); and 140 errors in my Startup Menu out of a total of 145 scanned (again, nearly all of my startup items were errors?). By clicking on a "View Details" link you are supposedly able to see what each error is, I had 70 errors in my File Extensions and 32 errors in File Associations, but clicking the "View Details" produced nothing. Furthermore, in many of the areas of the registry in which it scanned and found "errors," clicking the "View Details" link would identify some of the errors, but then in parenthesis tell you that this specific error contained an additional number of items-items for which there was no identity provided. So by allowing it to "clean" (delete) an entry you might feel to be safe, it might also delete any number of "additional items" it did not specifically identify! Interestingly, it found nine errors that were identified as being itself! I allowed the software to make an "undo backup" as well as a "full backup" and Windows Restore point (remember I also have my full disc image). All of my shortcuts disappeared, my start menu no longer existed, 14 software programs became missing or inoperable, my ISP no longer functioned, and my operating system was crippled in that it would load but was nearly unusable and I could not get on line. The full back up and undo functions did not restore everything deleted as my system was still not fully restored, and using Windows Restore (which I expected) did not fully return my system back to its status before "cleaning." The help file is almost useless and two emails to technical support went unanswered after 37 days (and still remain so). If I had not made a full disc image of my hard drive, I would have been facing literally hours upon hours rebuilding my system. One last note: When installing Registry Power Cleaner, a Windows warning opened stating: This software has not passed Window's testing to verify its compatibility with Windows XP. So, if my experiences are not convincing enough, I hope the Windows warning will keep you far, far away from this very dangerous and inexcusably poorly written piece of software.

The final registry cleaner in my testing was the highly respected but not widely known Registry Drill by EasyDesk Software. This is a very complex and extremely versatile registry cleaner with features you will find in no other registry cleaners. In fact, in addition to three levels of cleaning which range from "appropriate for the novice" to "appropriate only for an advanced user", there are 11 additional tools-all having to do with your registry. With all of these many features it should come as no surprise that Registry Drill offers the widest range of protection through an assortment of backups: Import/Export your registry, full registry backup, undo cleaning, and even a way to backup individual registry keys (individual errors) before cleaning/deleting. In my test cleanings, I first used each of the backup functions before each cleaning. The first clean was made using the most basic cleaning function ("Auto Clean") and this simply duplicated what was found by Registry Mechanic with all errors found obviously legitimate and which could be deleted without concern. Subsequent cleanings at this level found no repeat errors. Using the intermediate cleaning ("Quick Drill"), a total of 148 errors were reported. I carefully examined each error found and even though many were doubtful as being safe to delete, I repaired/deleted all errors listed. The result was some crippling of a few software programs, but the problem was easily corrected using any of the three backup methods, and on subsequent cleanings there were no repeat errors. The final cleaning was done using the "Deep Drill" which is described as being only for the "advanced user." The "Deep Drill" cleaning discovered 934 errors! To investigate fully each of the 934 errors would have taken many hours and, good or bad, I don't believe many (if any) users would spend hours making a decision; so, I simply allowed the program to delete/repair all entries found. There were obviously many errors that were not legitimate as I was immediately faced with countless problems with inoperable or crippled software and small but annoying glitches in my operating system. Again, I did not do the careful investigation which Registry Drill suggests in using this cleaning level, and ignored the many warnings about deleting errors without first examining them. Happily, I can report that, again, my system was restored to its original state by simply using the built in backup features of the program. I seriously question if this is the best way to proceed with any registry cleaning while at the same time recognizing that very few people would take the time to fully investigate each of the 900+ errors found. Unfortunately, on repeated tests using the "Deep Drill" cleaning level, hundreds of the errors were found again even after having been repaired/deleted. This tends to cause me a little less confidence in the cleaning process than I would like to have. There is, however, one of the most in depth help manuals I have ever encountered. The Registry Drill's help file-which is more a tutorial on the registry itself--walks you through any repairs you may need to make and carefully explains which errors may be valid and how to determine their validity. It explains why a Key is invalid and what information is missing or wrong. In addition there is an extensive FAQ and further help information on the EasyDesk web site. There is, however, no technical support available for matters regarding deleting or repairing your registry as a result of the program's cleaning functions. (Support is only available for problems with the functions of the programs features.) So, if you take the time to carefully read the help manual and investigate fully using the many tools available in the program any errors found, this program is very safe. However, and this may be no fault of the program's, I think very few users will take the time to do all of the aforementioned. If backups are made (they are not made automatically) any errors deleted that were not legitimate can be restored and your system not crippled. Unfortunately, except possibly for the very advanced user. There are just too many "ifs" here to allow me to confidently and safely recommend this program to the average user. It may possibly be, as advertised, the most powerful registry cleaner available. It is very powerful and can easily destroy your operating system if not used intelligently, carefully, and with extreme caution. If you take the time to fully educate yourself in this program as well as the time necessary to fully investigate each and every error found this may well be the most thorough of all the registry cleaners tested. See EasyDesk Software's remarks under the report from Reviewer 2.

Clean My PC and Registry Booster have no uninstallers! They have to be uninstalled manually piece by piece. Even when removing by hand, Clean My PC has a file within the program folder that will not delete except in safe mode. I found that uninstalling Registry Booster creates a problem with at least one other application. This application installs its backup key to the same key as Genie Backup Manager, so that if you remove that key, you will also disable Genie Backup Manager. In removing these programs, I found that Registry Booster left 41 empty entries in the registry, Clean My PC left 9, and Registry Power Cleaner left 3 (the only good thing about this program!).

Uniblue, producers of Registry Booster, responds: Our developers and technical support staff confirmed that Registry Booster has an uninstaller, and if used properly it should not give any of the mentioned problems. We have sold thousands of this product and we didn't even have one single support question on this matter.

Clean My PC Software responds:, our product does have uninstallers. The uninstaller can be launched either from the Control Panel (add/remove programs), or from Windows start menu ( Programs/CleanMyPC Registry Cleaner/Uninstall CleanMyPC - Registry Cleaner. From version 3.0, the user won't experience the Acrobat problem anymore that the reviewer met. This is implemented by an ignore/exception list in the program. The program has an internal exception list and a user-defined exception list. The registry defrag function in all registry cleaners basically compacts the registry to the same level (using the same method), so I think the statement for our defrag in the review is not accurate. I strongly suggest the reviewer to check again the latest version of our product (v3.1, which is released June 3) and I believe you will have a fresh feeling of our product.

Reviewer 2. Registry Mechanic performed well for me; it was easy to use, simple enough for beginners yet strong enough for experts. I was confident in its performance and in its backup and restore functions. Tech support seems to work well and online help is quite thorough. Pros: Looks good, easy to use, and safe for beginners. Cons: Not as clear on threat levels for problems it found.

Clean My PC is another good program well implemented. This was my second favorite of the programs; it is simple and very easy to use. I was confident using it and liked the simplicity of its features, including the backup and restore functions. Tech support was clear and concise. Pros: Very easy to use, clear, simple, and effective. Cons: No option to defrag the registry, though many feel this is unnecessary anyway.

Registry Power Cleaner is my favorite of the bunch, and it works very well. As with all Winferno products, I was confident in its function and comfortable using the program. It is easy to use for all skill levels, and its backup and restore functions worked flawlessly. It also allows the user to manage startup programs and schedule cleanings. Pros: Solid, simple, and clean; automatic backups, and full of useful features. Cons: Not always clear about whether the problems had been fixed.

Registry Drill is a program whose power belies its primitive appearance. Though it looks like an older program, it is very powerful and works well. It is simple enough for beginners, though some features require some searching. I had confidence in it, but some beginners may have problems accessing all the features. Pros: Powerful and relatively easy to use. Cons: expensive and not as visually appealing as other programs.

Easy Desk Software responds: The novice tools for Registry drill can be safely used by anybody. The Quick Drill, which is an intermediate tool, requires the use of the help file as the help file is part of this tool. The Quick Drill is not meant to delete every error that appears (as was performed by one of the reviewers). It reports errors not invalid keys, although many of the keys may be invalid. Many of the errors displayed on the interface simply require a repair such as fixing a path, adding a bracket to a CLSID pointer or removing a backslash at the end of a path in a TypeLib key, etc. It appears that one of the reviewers may have been using an older version of Quick Drill and was not aware that Quick Drill and many other tools in the Registry Drill will automatically backup each key before it is deleted which is in addition to the manual backup feature. Additional technical support for Registry Drill is available at techsup@easydesksoftware.com .

Registry Booster is clean, easy to learn and use, and powerful. It seems to be designed for beginners, and yet is powerful enough for everyone else, though it lacks some of the features found in other registry tools we reviewed here. I was confident in its backup and restore functions, and found the menus easy to navigate. Pros: Looks good, and is extremely easy to use. Cons: Lacks features some other registry tools include.

Clean My PC Software responds: The registry defrag/compact feature has been added into the product in version 3.1, released June 3.

Reviewer 3. Registry Booster opens with a simple, uncluttered screen, easy to understand and follow. It does a quick and straightforward cleanup of the usual suspects. It also offers a Registry Defrag, which essentially reorders items in the registry and closes up unused space. The cleanup process was comparable to most of the other programs in this review. In the main, this is an easy program to use. Once embarked on the Scan and Clean process, the user is asked to make a backup of the registry before changes are made. The extensive help files are a very good introduction to the Registry as well as explaining the program itself. This program is safe to use, and will not normally create any problems in the running of Windows after a cleaning has been done. Uniblue offers a side-by-side comparison on its web-sire of Registry Booster with a number of its competitors. The only thing that I found questionable was the numbers of entries it claimed to have processed and repaired, although this did not affect its safe use. Regarding backup and restore features, I found this particular area to be somewhat weak. In my opinion, a backup should be done before beginning any process on the registry, and the user should know where to find that backup. However, once a scan has been done, the program asks the user to if they wish to backup the registry before continuing. Unfortunately, once I had done a backup, I was not able to successfully restore the registry to its previous state. It was difficult to find how to communicate directly with technical support and I had to spend considerable time on the Web site to find a way to send them my questions. You must create an account and submit a ticket. Once this is done, you receive a link to the ticket questions and responses. Uniblue offers "Premium Support" for $9.95 for one year or $14.95 for two years. I was not able to test out this service. This program has excellent help files, a well-designed user interface, quick and easy scan and repair, and defrag and pack registry option. I was uncertain about some of the restore functions. It was difficult to access personalized support and this is the only program in this review group to request payment for "premium" support and upgrades.

Registry Power Cleaner has an easy-to-understand main program screen. It does a quick and straightforward cleanup of the main categories of registry keys. The user can have a full scan done, or select the portions of the registry to be scanned. It also provides a scheduler so that the registry will be cleaned automatically. The user can also see and control the programs that run at start-up. The visual design and layout of the program screen is easy to understand and use. The help is simple, and relates to the functions of the program, without attempting to provide the user with any information about the registry itself. "Animated Tutorials" on the Web site will show you how to use the program. This program ran as well as most others in this review, picking up and repairing about the same number of errors as the others. However, it had the odd habit of rearranging and even deleting some of my desktop shortcuts, not a function that I found appealing or helpful The program options default to creating a restore point before cleaning so that scans are automatically backed up. They are listed by date, so that any changes that have been made can be undone by selecting a particular cleaning operation and choosing "undo cleaning." The program also offers the choice of backing up both the registry and creating a Restore point to back up the Windows OS as well. Direct access to support is easily available through the Help Menu. This will bring you to the Web site, where you register your email address, then submit a ticket online. The reply is sent by email within a day, and includes a link back to the ticket item as well. This feature is not particularly well-implemented; when you are looking for support for a particular program, you find yourself in the main Web site, with all their other products competing for your attention. This program is easy enough for anyone to use, changes can be undone, it has simple help files, and it provides control of start-up programs, and a scheduler for automatic regular cleaning. The rearrangement of my desktop makes me approach this one with caution.

Clean My PC - Registry Cleaner. When this program is run for the first time, it automatically goes to the Backup and Restore feature, recommending a full backup of the registry before anything else is done. The user chooses the location and the name of the backup, which is stored as a ".cab" file. The basic Scan is quick and efficient, and the user has several ways to look at the results before actually doing any cleaning. The program also offers a registry defrag, a start-up organizer and a "BHO Organizer", plus a number of the Windows System tools, grouped together for easy access and use. Although this program has many features built in, and a rather spartan interface, it is in fact, very easy to use. All features are accessible via buttons on the various screens: -- there are no other menus. Most importantly, particularly for a novice user, descriptions and helpful information of each feature are right there on the page. The Online Help file is a balance between information about the registry and instructions on how to use each of the program's functions. Although this program contains quite a number of tools, I would recommend it to novice users as well as intermediate and even advanced users as well. Easy access to the registry itself to look closely at problem keys is provided by "Copy to the Clipboard" of any key selected and direct access to any key via RegEdit. It provides immediate backup of the registry, even in the trial version, and always for the first time that the program is used. This builds confidence that this is indeed a professional program. When doing the backup, the user chooses both the location and the name given, so it is easily accessible if they need to do a restore. There is easy, direct access via email in the online help, even for people using the trial (unregistered) version. Response is by direct email from the support staff. This program is good for novice users as well as those who are more experienced, and it is an excellent idea to start with a backup. The additional registry tools (defrag, startup and BHO organizers) as well as easy access to other Windows system tools. The price is fair price and the guaranteed lifetime support (for an added fee) still places its total price under all the others in this review group,. It allows an individual to use it on more than one computer, thus putting its producer ahead of many others. The rather spartan interface may deter some users.

Registry Mechanic performs a thorough scan effortlessly, covering all the usual main areas of concern. It shows a "priority" of suggested repairs after the scan and this is helpful, although most people would tend to "repair it all." Visually, the interface is well-designed and easy to use. Two additional features, "Optimize your system" and "Compact Registry" increase the value of this product. The main screen is clear and all main functions are available there. Novice users will be easily able to navigate through the program and use its features. The program is minimized to the system tray for easy access. "Optimize Your System" will do a number of small "tweaks" which help the computer to run more smoothly. These changes can easily be undone. This program does a fairly complete job, sometimes picking up errors that other programs have missed. In all the time that I have used it, I have never experienced any problems resulting from its use. A nice feature is the "Registry Monitor" which monitors changes made to certain sections of the registry, and logs them so that the user can view them at a later date. The only help that is directly available is a Quick Start guide. From there, you can access the full help file, but you have to be online to use it. Backup is not a feature of this program. Instead, going to Options and enabling "Create a system restore point before repair (XP)" brings up the System Restore tab in the Windows "System Properties" dialog box. You are thus not relying on Registry Mechanic, but on Windows itself for this feature. Technical support is easily found under the Help Menu, although you have to submit your question on the Web site, and follow up on a ticket number. Response was very quick; for example, I had a question answered within 3 hours, and that was late at night on a weekend. This program's strengths are its stability in use over time, easy-to-follow graphical interface, several good additional tools, and its rapid and easily-available technical support. With regard to weaknesses, backup and restore depends on the Windows system function, and the full help feature is not available if the user is not online.

Registry Drill  If you really want to take control of this critical component of the Windows OS (Operating System), Registry Drill is the program to do it. The analysis is extremely thorough. Actually, there are three levels of analysis from Novice to Advanced, plus a good number of other tools that allow the user to examine all aspects of the Registry. There are few easy "point-and-click" solutions here. On the other hand, this program far outweighs all the others in the power of its functions. I ran three other registry cleaning programs consecutively, and then ran the first stage of the Novice Scan in Registry Drill. It found 60 additional errors missed by the others. After that, Registry Drill has two more levels at the Novice Stage, plus all the tools in the Intermediate and Advanced levels. This is really a program for more experienced users. (From the Help File) "Please note that the Registry Drill is designed for users that already have some basic knowledge of the operating system." Even the Novice Scan, at its first level, requires user response. Go a bit deeper and you need to be ready to answer questions on an individual "key" basis. On the other hand, if you are interested and want to take the time, the help is extensive, and like everything else in this program, very thorough. If treated carefully, and if the user will take the time, this program will give you complete control over the registry. You could visualize is as allowing you to use RegEdit (which only the brave, adventuresome or very knowledgeable "power users" dare to approach), as every step of the way there are extensive help files on hand on any feature that you are using. If you follow their advice, including recommended backups, you will not create any problems. This is a very professional program. The Help file recommends over and over the need for backups. General rule: backup before you start. In deeper parts of the program, you can backup individual keys before deleting them. If you forget, after doing a scan, and deciding to run a cleaning, the program pops up a dialog suggesting that you do a backup, and, once it is done, it tells you where that file has been placed. EasyDeskSoftware.com is focused entirely on giving the user complete control over the Windows OS/ Registry Drill is one of the programs it offers to this end. Its Web site offers extensive information and assistance. Their help is easily accessed by going to the Web sire and choosing Tech Support. This program can delve deeply into the registry and deal with a multitude of issues not covered by the other programs and it can even load and analyze the registry from a backup or one imported from another computer. Once registered, all updates are free.

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